The notebook
by lakemountain
Summary: Postables have to deliver a notebook, of which they know almost nothing. No one can help them, except perhaps, one certain Edward Bartlett O'Toole. The characters belong to the talented Martha Williamson. I do not own the movie Star wars, and the series, Stranger things or Touched by an Angel.


**The notebook.**

Postables have to deliver a notebook, of which they know almost nothing. No one can help them, except perhaps, one certain Edward Bartlett O'Toole. The characters belong to the talented Martha Williamson. I do not own the movie Star wars, and the series, Stranger things or Touched by an Angel.

One Monday morning, Shane was running a sprint to get to the office.

"Good morning, everyone. Sorry for the slight delay, but a nice dream prevented me from hearing my alarm clock," Shane exclaimed as she entered.

She went to her office to put her things down, when Rita followed her.

"So Shane. What did you dream about, or rather who?" Rita asked quietly with a mischievous smile.

Shane was surprised at her friend's insight.

"Well,... Oliver invited me to dinner. Then we walked through a park, in the moonlight, and then... he kissed me. It seemed so real, if you knew, Rita," Shane whispered.

"Well, I understand you didn't want to wake up," Rita laughs.

"Hey, do we have anything this morning?" Shane asked everyone.

"Indeed. A strange notebook. Norman, would you give us a quick overview," Oliver asked.

"Sure. A rather old notebook. There is a coat of arms with a slightly erased lion on the back of the notebook. It is dated 1913, and the last date is November 26, 1916. The notebook is written in several foreign languages. The author is Jimmy Garrick White whom dedicated it to his friends of the R.S. Oliver thinks it's a travel journal or a diary written during the First World War," Norman replied.

"Unfortunately, I can't read this notebook," Oliver added, putting a magnifying glass on his desk.

"The notebook is from Denver, right? So the sender lives in Colorado. We just need to look for a Jimmy Garrick White in Colorado. Besides, Garrick os not a first name very common. It can't be complicated," Shane said as she researched his computer.

A few minutes later, Shane's computer beeped.

"So?" Oliver asked.

"No trace of Jimmy Garrick White in Colorado or the United States. The same is true for birth or death records," says Shane, disappointed.

"Norman, don't you have a cousin who specializes in foreign languages?" Rita asked.

"No, sorry. I do have a cousin who is an antique dealer, but not a specialist in languages or history, to help us," Norman answered.

Oliver thought for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.

"But, there are... Uncle Ed. I'm going to call him," Oliver exclaimed.

"Oh yes, Uncle Ed, is the ideal person," Norman and Rita exclaimed together.

"Who is Uncle Ed?" Shane asked.

"He's very friendly. For the New Year, he always sends us a card or comes to visit us. He's Oliver's uncle. He is a professor at Boulder University in Colorado and teaches history, languages and physics," says Rita.

"Yes, and it will only be available from 2:00 p. m. That's what one of his colleagues told me. Miss McInerney, would you come with me, please?" said Oliver.

"With pleasure, Mr. O'Toole," says Shane, curious to meet the famous Uncle Ed.

At 1:45 p. m., Oliver and Shane were waiting outside the classroom.

"So, you have here, the properties of the physical laws for gravitation or Newton laws, if you prefer. And if you still haven't understood, I'll give you a demonstration. This is... a soccer ball," said one voice.

The whole class laughed. Edward Bartlett O'Toole started making juggles with the ball.

The students began to applaud and he put down his ball.

"According to the referential, the movement of the ball differs: And in relation to the ground, the ball has a rectilinear movement, while it is immobile in relation to the ground. Then you must understand that the ball always falls to the ground. Tomorrow night, there's a soccer game, Major League Soccer . Watch the first half, and we'll talk about it again, at the next class on Monday. Wait, wait, please. For the students who are attending Thursday's Spanish class, I couldn't get the movie Stars Wars. So for the practical part, you will dub in Spanish, an episode of Stranger things or Touched by an Angel. Have a good week, everyone. says Ed O'Toole.

The bell rings. The students leave the room, enthusiastic and amused. When the room was empty, Shane and Oliver came in. Ed noticed their presence.

"Hello, Uncle Ed. It's me, Oliver O'Toole.

"Oh, Gosh ! Welcome to the university. How is my favorite little nephew? Good to see you again," Ed exclaimed, shaking Oliver's hand.

Edward Bartlett O'Toole was of medium height. He was wearing a suit and Shane thought he was British. He had silvery hair and light blue eyes, which shone when he smiled.

"Same for me. I called earlier. How is Aunt Amy?" says Oliver.

"Very well, thank you. I was told you needed help. And I suppose that this charming person who accompanies you is your girlfriend or fiancée," says Ed.

"Uh, no,... uh... yes... I mean." stuttered Oliver. He clears his throat. "Miss McInerney, this is my great uncle, Edward Bartlett O'Toole." Oliver began.

Shane shook his hand.

"Great uncle?" she asked.

"Yes. His father and I are cousins. We practically grew up together, like brothers. Nice to meet you."

"Uncle Ed, this is Shane McInerney. We work together in the dead letter office." says Oliver.

"Oh Shane, come back, Shane." said Ed with a smile.

Shane smiled and laughed. She wondered if the quote "Shane, come back, Shane" was a family tradition among the O'Toole.

"I think it's a great idea to use dubbing for language courses. "Shane exclaimed.

"Yes. First of all, part of the class studies the script. We analyse the grammar and meaning of sentences. Then we move on to the practical part with the dubbing, the students' favourite part. There you go," Edward said smiling.

"Uncle Ed, this is a travel journal, which is hard to decipher. It must date from the First World War. I was thinking that you could help us identify its origin and perhaps its recipient," Oliver began.

"Let's go to my office, follow me," said Uncle Ed.

They walk together in the corridors.

"There you go. It's here. Please, sit down! I'll ask for a cup of tea and cookies," says Uncle Ed.

He lit a lamp on his desk and took a magnifying glass. Oliver handed him the notebook.

Edward Bartlett O'Toole examined it carefully.

"Um... yes... I see... I wonder if... very... very... interesting" says Ed with a smile.

"So"? Oliver asked, anxious to know.

"You have found Jimmy Garrick White's travel notebook."

"But we found no information about him," says Shane.

"Jimmy White has never lived in the United States. Polyglot, he was a researcher. In 1912 he was sent by the Royal Society of London on a study trip. The R.S. is the acronym of the Royal Society. As for the coat of arms, it is that of the United Kingdom. In a notebook, he wrote in the languages of each country he crossed. Here, for example, he tells us that every afternoon in Giza, you can admire a magnificent sunset above the pyramids,. And then the First World War began. In 1916, he boarded a freight ship to return to England. But the North Sea was blocked. He had to turn back and head back to Hong Kong. But on the way, he was stopped by the German navy. He dropped his notebook. A few years later, he succumbed to a disease," Edward said.

"But how did this notebook end up in the United States," asked Shane, curious.

"It is said that a Boston ship captain found it and brought it with him. And I remember that in 2007, an employee of a Denver company wrote in a blog, that he had inherited a strange notebook, and that he would send it to an auction house or an individual, if he couldn't find the owner.

"So the address was lost in transit and this notebook arrived in our department. It's incredible! added Oliver.

"Just trust the timing. A friend of mine, Professor Sir Charles Wilson whom works at the British Museum, knows the Royal Society. I'll give you his address," Edward O'Toole added.

They had tea.

"Tell me, Uncle Ed. How did you know this story?" Oliver asked over a sip of tea.

"Well, I heard it in history class when I was a student at Oxford. But it was only a legend," Edward replied.

"You graduated from Oxford University, I didn't know that!"

"I went to study in the United Kingdom just after the accident. Chester, his wife and Joe were very supportive and helpful after my father's death. But I wanted to go away for a while. After graduation, I returned to the United States to study physics. And today, I'm here to help the postal services," Ed says with a smile.

"Mr. O'Toole, have you ever worked at the post office?" Shane asked.

"Yes, of course. I worked for two years as a postman with Joe just before I started my studies," he replied.

The professor accompanied them to the car.

"Uncle Ed, your help was invaluable, thank you very much." said Oliver.

"You're welcome. It was fun. Shane, it was a pleasure to meet you.

"Me too, Mr. O'Toole." Shane replied.

"Take care, Oliver. When you were a kid, you used to like going down Boulder Creek. So you can come whenever you want," says Ed.

"I promise, Uncle Ed," Oliver said to him.

Oliver stepped forward to shake his hand, but Ed hugged him. Behind him, Shane shed a small tear.

"By the way, Shane, Oliver. Every letter, every object you find is a unique story. Never forget that," said Uncle Ed and his eyes shone in the sunlight.

On the way back.

"So, Miss McInerney?"

"Your uncle is a wonderful person, Oliver."

"I will remember from this delivery, that the family remains an indestructible bond" said Oliver

He smiled and pushed the doors to enter the DLO.

End.

Translated with a translator.


End file.
